Two Halves of a Whole Priestess
by Calum the Angel
Summary: [DROPPED][AU] With Naraku's impending awakening, can Kagome keep safe the two hanyous necessary to break the seal, or will her own anomalous existence break her spirit forever? Longer summary inside IK, MS
1. The Breach at Naraku's Seal

A/N: Okay, here's a better summary than the one outside, since what I need to say probably won't fit...

(AU) What started out as a hunt for an alleged demon priestess has turned into a race for survival against the Cult of the Spider, a group of demons bent on reviving the dread demon Naraku. Kagome, an acolyte of the Order of Uzume, now finds herself travelling with some unexpected companions: Inuyasha, once an unwilling slave to Naraku, recently awakened from a cold, dark sleep; Miroku, a wealthy gambler and ladies' man, owner of the world's only functional airship as well as a deadly secret; Hojo, Miroku's personal attendant, completely oblivious to his own master's shady dealings; Sango, a policewoman with a tragic past, hellbent on proving Miroku's guilt and bringing him to justice; and Kirara, her loyal police-cat demon. Can Kagome keep safe the two hanyous necessary to break Naraku's Seal, or will the discovery of her own anomalous existence break her spirit forever? Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango

Enjoy!

* * *

"Get ready, Kagome!"

Kagome heeded the warning of the little kitsune and tightened her grip on the Shikon Staff. This is the moment she had been training for. If she failed, it would be 15 years gone to waste.

Smoke poured out of the seal on the ground, swirling around the figure that stood at the very centre. The erratic winds that blew around the area were enough to knock a normal person off their feet, but Kagome had been well-trained. A little demonic force was not enough to make her lose her footing.

The demon at the centre of the pentagram lifted his head, but his eyes were still closed. Silver pointed ears perked, as if surveying the area before his sight took over.

Kagome dared a glance over at her comrade, who was visibly shaking like a leaf. While the 8-year-old Shippou was a fox demon, his spiritual powers were not quite as advances as hers. In training, however, he was progressing rapidly and could hold his own in battle. Kagome still could not help but worry, however; she began to question Lady Kaede's decision to dispatch the boy on this mission as demonic smoke curled its wispy claws around her ankles.

"Shippou!" Kagome shouted. "Don't be afraid! The demon can sense that! Don't forget I'm here with you."

A feral scream returned the distracted Kagome back to the matter at hand. The demon threw back his head and roared again. The wind grew stronger, and the smoke was propelled up into the air by the invisible force the demon exuded.

"He's so much more powerful than I imagined," Kagome mused. She shouted to her partner, "Be on your guard!"

Kagome sensed a hesitation in the demon, but fought the urge to take that moment to strike. It could easily have been a ploy to get her guard down. She had learned that trick the hard way. The beast was clearly still enraged, as the smoke that poured from the seal and winds were not fluctuating in the least.

The acolyte was surprised when she saw the demon begin to claw at his own shoulder. With a frustrated look in his frightening features, he lifted a clawed hand and scraped away at the flesh, drawing blood and tearing the cloth that made the sleeve of his fire-rat cloak.

"What...?" Kagome murmured. Foolishly, she took a step toward the demon.

In a flash, his eyes were on her, and he sprung from the spot where he stood, claws ripping the air.

The sudden eruption of his demonic aura in her direction caused her to lose her balance and sent her flying backwards. She landed hard on the ground. In a split second, her mind calculated two things: one, she was not going to be able to get up right away; and two, that this was not good news.

She caught a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye and turned her head. Shippou had chucked a small bobble from afar, cuffing the demon in the side of the head. The demon skidded to a halt on his path for Kagome, and immediately turned his attention to the boy.

"Shippou, don't!" Kagome screamed, a bit too late.

Shippou thrust his palm flat on the ground, and Kagome saw his lips move in a short chant. From his palm came a shockwave that cut the ground cleanly in a straight line. The holy energy from that one blow would have cut the demon in half, had it actually hit him. The demon leapt into the air, clear of the attack, and bore down on Shippou, eyes flashing.

While Shippou's decision had not been the wisest, it had given Kagome the time she needed to recover from her fall and protect the boy. The demon's claws hit the shaft of the Shikon Staff, and sparks flew from the contact of positive and negative. The two reached a standoff, Kagome's face contorted with the struggle of keeping the demon at bay, and the demon snarling in rage, baring his gleaming white fangs.

"Shippou, please," Kagome grunted. "Never do that again!"

"Don't underestimate me! I can handle myself!" Shippou replied. "Without my interference, you would have surely died!"

Kagome twisted her staff, causing the demon to lose his balance. She twisted again and smacked the demon in the face with the staff's pink spherical jewel. There was a sInuyasha flash of sparkling pink light as the demon flew back. He managed to get his feet on the ground and skidded to a halt.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Shippou and smiled. "And don't think I don't appreciate it."

Shippou returned the smile and joined Kagome at her side.

When the demon stopped, he slumped and groaned. He reached for his shoulder again, clutching the self-inflicted wound. Despite the obvious pain, he began clawing at it again, cringing at every gash.

"Why does he keep doing that...?" Kagome demanded of no one in particular. She watched the demon carefully, studying his movements and his facial expression. When he had first begun clawing at his shoulder, she had seen the same look on his face. Not just that of frustration, but of pain. Something had been hurting him long before he had inflicted wounds upon himself.

"There's something in his shoulder!" Kagome told Shippou. "Something is hurting him... But what?"

"No offense," Shippou muttered, "But how does that matter right now?"

As Kagome watched the demon try to claw out whatever was ailing him in his left shoulder, she slowly grew less tense and aggressive and became curious. Even sympathetic. The pain in his face was so obvious, unfettered. She wondered perhaps if it was only sweat pouring down his face. She could have sworn that instead, he was crying.

The demon let out a short shriek, opening and closing his mouth as if struggling to speak the words. Kagome knew that when a demon was fully enraged, its fangs enlarged and its tongue grew thick. It made speaking nearly impossible.

"K...Kkhh— Kikhh...Kikyo..."

"What did he say?!" Shippou demanded.

"K-Kikyo!" the demon shrieked.

"Kikyo..." Kagome muttered. "Where do I know that name?"

"KIKYO!!!" the demon screamed one last time before falling to his knees. He clutched his shoulder limply.

Kagome had not seen it for the dark of the night, but she now noticed the pool of crimson that had formed at the demon's knees. He was passing out from the loss of blood.

The acolyte took a step towards the demon. He growled and sent a warning glare in her direction, but made no other move.

"Don't do that!" Shippou warned. "He may be weakened, but he is still a threat!"

"Just let me try something," Kagome said tersely. Her gaze did not waver from the demon as she took, slow, calculated steps forward. The demon still glared and growled, but did not proceed to actually stop her in any way.

When she was next to him, she knelt before him, her eyes still never leaving his. Despite the lack of light, his large golden eyes still glistened, shinier perhaps from crying.

"Let go of the demon instinct," Kagome coaxed, her voice gentle. She kept her expression friendly, but stern. "I know you, like humans, are capable of reason. That's what sets you apart from the beast you might be otherwise. Let go of the anger. Come back to the temple, and you can tell us about Kikyo."

The demon ground his teeth and blinked. "K...Kikyo...?"

Kagome slowly reached up and placed her fingertips on the demon's forehead. There was a shimmer of light, and the demon screamed.

* * *

"Lady Kagome! Lady Kagome!"

"Shippou!" Kagome greeted, springing to her feet. "What about—"

"Lady Kaede is coming!" Shippou exclaimed, hopping on the spot with a look of pure terror on his face. "She made me tell her what happened, and she looks really peeved!"

As if on cue, the door slid open. A stern-looking old woman in priestess robes and her lips pursed in a permanent straight line stepped into the room.

"Good day, Lady Kaede," Shippou stated tightly. The boy bowed and fled for his life.

Kagome also bowed and looked nervously up for Kaede's judgement.

"Shippou told me about what happened back at Naraku's Seal," Kaede said, pacing a little bit towards the window. Her voice was calm, but it was often impossible to read her reaction. No matter how hard Kagome tried, she could not begin to fathom what was going on in the mind of the sage and clever priestess.

Kagome remained silent. She knew the priestess probably had more to say.

"The kind of behavior you showed during battle was foolhardy and easily could have gotten two of my best acolytes killed, as well as any surrounding villagers." Kaede turned her gaze on Kagome. "But I am willing to allow the ends to justify the means if you can tell me what this is."

Kagome spirits lifted. Her eyes lit up when she realized that the trinket Lady Kaede held out before her was recognizable. "It looks like an arrowhead."

"Open your palm," Kaede told her. Kagome obeyed, and the priestess dropped the silver triangle into her open hand. "What do you feel?"

Kagome was taken aback by the sudden sensation that merely holding the arrowhead induced. "The holy energy emanating from this arrowhead is astounding..."

"It was extracted from the demon's left shoulder," Kaede explained.

"That's what was hurting him..." Kagome realized. She remembered the events of the previous night, and recalled something important. "Kikyo... The demon screamed that name."

"Do you remember who Kikyo is?"

"It sounds familiar, but the identity escapes me."

Kaede nodded sympathetically. "Lady Kikyo was a priestess at this very temple, and her spiritual powers were quite strong. Her weapon of choice to fight demons was a bow."

It suddenly dawned on Kagome. "So you're saying that Kikyo shot this demon in the shoulder with her arrow, but the arrowhead got lodged in his flesh. No wonder it was so painful... The holy energy would have started burning him internally."

"Lady Kikyo became a bit of a local legend," Kaede went on. "Shortly after killing the demon Naraku and sealing away his peon on the same spot, she disappeared. The Seal of Naraku is where they once lay. Some children from the nearby village were playing in the forest clearing. One fell and got a scrape, but as soon as his blood touched the seal, Naraku's peon was released."

"That's why we were dispatched so quickly..." Kagome mused.

"Some accused Lady Kikyo of being a demon herself, that her powers could not possibly belong to those of a mere mortal, but Kikyo was so loved by the people that these accusations were written off completely. Now that she has disappeared, things that normally would have been hidden from the public are now having light shed on them. There could be substantial proof that Lady Kikyo was—and is still—a demon."

"You believe she still lives?" Kagome asked.

Kaede nodded. "Recently, I have heard stories of a powerful but elusive priestess on the southern continent who smites demons with her holy arrows. Reports of her appearance are identical to how she appeared 50 years ago.

"Kagome, I want you to find out if Lady Kikyo still lives. And if she does, if she is a demon. You understand that a demon that wields holy powers to fight demons is a rare occurrence indeed."

Kagome was puzzled. "What about Shippou?"

"I said it was rare, not impossible," Kaede pointed out. "The young Lord Shippou was taken in by the order as a small orphaned child. He has been trained in the art of holy magic, and does, in fact, do quite well. So as for Lady Kikyo, assuming she is a demon, she, too, could possess the same holy magic as that of Lord Shippou's."

"She would be an invaluable aid to the cause of good," Kagome concluded.

"Yes." Kaede turned and held open the door from which she had come. "The demon calls himself Inuyasha. He wishes to speak with you. Not to worry; he's no threat at the moment. If he should attempt something violent, simply state the word of subjugation."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you, Lady Kaede."

Kagome walked through the door into the temple sanctuary, and she heard the door shut softly behind her. Her nostrils were immediately assaulted with a sweet and salty smell from the burning incense. As her eyes adjusted to the dim, ruddy light, she saw the demon from the night before, Inuyasha, sitting at the base of the altar. The only acknowledgment he gave of her presence was a shift of his ears.

She closed the gap between the two by half. He still showed no reaction, but she was patient.

"My name is Kagome," she said. Her voice echoed in the vast chamber. "I'm a acolyte. I understand you wanted to speak with me."

"Please..." Inuyasha murmured.

"Pardon?" Kagome said, confused at the demon's unfinished thought.

He continued, "Spare me. I didn't say I wanted to speak with you. I said I wanted to speak with a competent slave of the Uzume order."

Kagome nearly choked. "Wh-what?! I am competent!! And it's not a slave, it's an acolyte!"

"Certainly seems like a slave from where I'm standing," Inuyasha sneered, finally gracing her with a glance. "Well, sitting..."

Kagome did not particularly want to get into an argument with this petulant demon, and tightened her lips to keep the potentially blasphemous curses from escaping. Sitting... She shifted her gaze momentarily up to the triangular ears on top of his head, and immediately recognized the demon for what he was: a dog demon. An appropriate word of subjugation for a dog, sit. She decided to log it away in her mind for later.

"You seem lethargic," Kagome commented ungraciously. "You must still be partly tranquilized from that spell I cast last night."

"Feh..." he muttered lazily. "Let's just get down to business, alright?"

Kagome silently agreed, and came to sit next to Inuyasha. She studied the features of the demon next to her. He appeared almost human now. His mouth was no longer stretched in a grimace full of gnashing teeth, his eyes no longer narrow and flashing red. His silver hair cascaded down his back, taking on a brassy tint from the candles surrounding them. She noted the beaded necklace around his neck; it was her insurance that he would not go berserk and kill her.

"Last night..." Inuyasha said, his voice not betraying any particular emotion. His eyes never left the floor in front of him. "I thought you were Kikyo. You look like her, you know. At least, in the dark." He lifted his head a little turned his head to face her. He looked quite sullen, and seemed to study her a moment. "She was prettier than you."

Kagome huffed silently and suppressed the urge to burn him alive with the arrowhead she still held. "What can you tell me about Kikyo?"

"A traitor," Inuyasha replied simply. He returned his head to its original position. "A demon working as someone like you is unheard of. Like that little kitsune brat with you last night."

"Understandably so," Kagome conceded. According to him, Kikyo _was_ a demon. Could she take his word? "Inuyasha, what's your relationship with Naraku? Why were you trapped within the seal?"

"I was his minion."

"Ah..." Kagome breathed. He sounded so terribly bitter at saying this, she knew he must not have been very fond of Naraku, much like most other people. Apparently, there was no greater relationship there than Kaede had mentioned; a peon.

"It's the spot where he died that I was shot by Kikyo," Inuyasha explained. "She sealed me beneath the earth, vowing that she would not allow another demon like Naraku to walk the earth."

"He was a powerful demon," Kagome noted. "I can only imagine his right-hand men were much the same."

Inuyasha snorted ironically. "And yet I was sent into a cold, dark sleep by a traitor. I never got over the pain, you know."

"Hm?"

"The pain in my shoulder. Even in a relatively peaceful sleep, that damned arrowhead still burned."

Kagome held out the item Inuyasha had just damned. "This is the arrowhead they dug out of your shoulder." She glanced over at his arm and noticed for the first time that it had been bandaged.

Inuyasha held out his hand, and Kagome dropped the arrowhead into his palm. Inuyasha studied the offending piece of metal for a moment. He closed his hand into a fist. Tiny strains of red smoke floated up through his knuckles. When he opened his hand again, the arrowhead was no more. Shards of silver and red were left. Inuyasha's mouth twisted into a sadistic, satisfied smirk.

"Hey!" Kagome protested. She did not know whether they still needed it. She hoped for her sake beneath the wrath of Lady Kaede that they did not.

"Ashes," Inuyasha muttered. "Just like Kikyo must be."

"Do you know that for sure?" Kagome asked fervently, leaning closer to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha leaned away from her advance. "Know what for sure?"

"That she's dead!"

"Of course not. I've been sealed away for fifty years!"

"You may be disappointed to hear this," Kagome said, rising to her feet, "But there have been reports of a woman that looks and acts just like Kikyo. We think she may still be alive."

"What?!" Inuyasha demanded. He leapt to his feet and stuck his face right next to Kagome's. "Tell me where she is! I'll kill her for you!"

"It's not that simple," Kagome replied, shaking her head. "We don't know her exact location, but we can go search where the reports of her whereabouts came from."

"What's all this talk about we?" Inuyasha demanded. "I don't need any help killing the traitor. Your concern is much appreciated, but not necessary."

"Actually, it is," Kagome retorted. "I'm sorry to say you're not the one in control here, buddy. This order will not allow a demon such as yourself to be wandering around trying to track down a demon priestess. I can't believe I just said that... But think about it: a demon would not be well-looked upon by people, and you certainly wouldn't have much luck in the way of transport."

"Walking is not an issue," Inuyasha argued.

"What about swimming?" Kagome offered, raising an eyebrow. "The reports of Kikyo's whereabouts all came from the southern continent. That means you'll have quite the swim to get across an ocean that size."

Inuyasha's jaw twitched. He paused, glaring at Kagome, looking like he was about to counter, but could not. His face relaxed and he averted his gaze to one of the windows in the sanctuary. "I grudgingly accept your aid in _my_ quest to kill Kikyo." He glared sulkily at her. "Are you happy now?"

Kagome nodded, a big grin on her face. "Quite."

* * *

A/N: This idea was originally for a non-fanfiction story, but for some reason, it worked really well for Inuyasha... Must be subliminal. I really should be working on my other stories, but I really wanted to get this one out. What you people thinky so far? Click on that wee button down there and tell me. Till next! 


	2. Kouga's Pack

"Lady Kaede?" Kagome called delicately into the priestess's private quarters.

"Yes, Kagome," Kaede responded. "What is it?"

Kagome stepped deeper into the chamber and held out the Shikon Staff she had kept with her overnight. "I should return this to you now."

Kaede shook her head. "It's yours now. You've earned it. You'll need it on your journey, I'll wager."

"B-but, Lady Kaede!" Kagome protested. "You can't seriously be putting something so sacred into the sole trust of an acolyte like me!"

"You are my best, Kagome," the old woman sighed. "You know not yet how great your powers are, but soon you will see that the Shikon Jewel that resides on the end of that staff is best kept in your hands. You are aware of the story behind the Shikon Jewel, correct?"

"The priestess Lady Midoriko," Kagome recalled. "It sprung from her body while she was combatting a demon."

Kaede nodded. She went on to add, "The Jewel of Four Souls is a powerful gem indeed; the crystallized soul of arguably the greatest priestess that ever lived. You mustn't allow the jewel to fall into the wrong hands. Keep it safe, and never use its power with malicious intent. I know your training will prevent that from happening."

"This is a lot to place on my shoulders," Kagome moaned. She quickly added, "Not that I don't accept it with responsibility, or that I don't want it... I mean, I'll do my best!"

"I know you will. I trust you with the jewel. Your training will assure that my judgement is not wrong."

Kagome bowed. "Thank you, Lady Kaede. Your trust means a lot to me. I'll do my best to keep the jewel safe, and complete my mission."

Kaede nodded once more. "Go, then. You have my blessings. Journey safely."

"Thank you," Kagome said as she left. "Farewell!"

* * *

"How much longer must I wear this?" Inuyasha demanded bitterly. He lifted the cloth of his hood from in front of his eyes to glare at Kagome. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Who do you think is going to see me?"

"We can't take any chances," Kagome replied. Evening had fallen once again, and she watched the dark forest surrounding the carriage's path anxiously. "There could be some people wandering the forest at night..."

"Yeah, bandits," Inuyasha insisted. "I think it would be wise if I were to expose my face. No bandit with a brain would attack a carriage with a demon on board."

"Be that as it may, don't show yourself yet."

Inuyasha slumped in his seat and grumbled incoherently.

Kagome sighed and began to wonder if Inuyasha was going to insist on being this detestable for the entirety of the trip. She had just decided to start a conversation to ease the mood when Inuyasha spoke first.

"Can I take my hood down to fight the bandits that are in the process of surrounding us?"

"What?" Kagome demanded stiffly. "What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha lifted his head and delicately whiffed the air. "Wolves..."

"What?!" Kagome squeaked. "Will you just give me a straight answer?!"

"Lady Kagome," Shippou murmured shakily, transformed with his kitsune powers into the carriage driver outside. "There's a man blocking the path."

Kagome leaned over and squinted into the dark forest. As if out of some horrible nightmare, the figures of men and wolves alike grew out of the shadows of the trees.

"Shaman bandits," Kagome murmured.

"What are they?" Inuyasha inquired.

"Shamans can commune with animals and animal spirits," Kagome explained. "They bind themselves to animals, like these men with their wolves. Some shamans abuse their powers and become bandits."

Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow. "You want I should get out and dispatch them, then?"

"Don't be so hasty," Kagome muttered, gripping the Shikon Staff tightly. "Let's just see if we can't talk ourselves out of this."

Inuyasha snorted. "Friggin' unlikely."

"Good evening to you, sir!" the man blocking the path called jovially with a hearty wave. "You've reached the toll of the Wolf Tribe! Hand over your woman and all your gold, and you may pass!"

This elicited a chuckle from several of the other men surrounding the carriage. The wolves among the men snarled dangerously.

"Hand over your woman?" Kagome repeated, teeth clenched. "Oh, I'll hand them something alright..."

"We were so close..." Shippou lamented. "Only a short way left before we got to the village..."

Inuyasha pulled his cloak off entirely and stepped out of the carriage. "I've heard quite enough."

"Wait!" Kagome pleaded, stepping out with him. "You're not going to kill them, are you? Can't we get away with this without resorting to that?"

"What are you, some kind of pacifist?" Inuyasha inquired off-handedly. "I don't recall you taking any concessions with me."

"That's a demon!" one bandit shouted.

Inuyasha cast a glance at the acolyte next to him. "Intelligent lot."

"A reward to whoever brings his head back to the den!" the leader proposed.

The Wolf Tribe let out rowdy cries and attacked.

"I rather like my head right where it is, thanks," Inuyasha said calmly, despite the shaman brandishing a short sword coming straight at him. Unfortunately for the shaman, he soon found himself without his weapon. It was still gripped in the hand that had been severed from his wrist. He screamed, from shock as well as pain, but was silenced by a swift kick in the head by Inuyasha.

"Do you have to be so rough?!" Kagome demanded.

"What?!?!" Inuyasha shrieked, taken aback by her comment. He was distracted from anything he was going to say next by yet another onslaught from a shaman. Inuyasha's claws met with the shaman's polearm. The fingers of the demon's other hand curled into a fist that impacted deeply into the shaman's solar plexus. The shaman's wind was knocked out of him, and he slumped to the ground in a heap.

Wolves surrounded and snapped at the horse, still tied to the carriage. She reared up and whinnied frantically, jarring the carriage dangerously. Shippou returned to his true form in a poof of smoke, trying desperately to get a hold on the reins again with his now tiny hands.

"Fox Fire!"

Blue flames erupted around the pack of wolves at the mare's hooves. They whimpered and were scattered a bit, but were not much worse for the wear. Shippou moaned fearfully, filled with disappointment that his kitsune powers could not do more than singe the wolves.

Kagome parried the blows of the shamans to the best of her ability. She realized, after having fought off most of them with ease, that were not actually trying to cause harm. She remembered that their intention was to kidnap her, not kill her. This conclusion only succeeded in making her anger erupt into newfound strength, knocking the shamans' weapons out of their hands and convincing them to back off. The Shikon Jewel seemed to sparkle with multicoloured light in tune with her emotions, swirling in a trail of sparks with every swing of the staff.

She could still hear the sounds of combat on the other side of the carriage between Inuyasha and the shamans. She searched her surroundings fervently, but all of the shamans that had been engaging her had disappeared into the shadows once more.

"Would that by any chance be the sacred Shikon Jewel you carry on that staff?"

Kagome whirled around at the challenge of a man behind her. She saw that it was their leader, his eerie sky blue eyes dancing with strange colours in the light of the jewel of which he spoke.

"KYAAA!"

Kagome let out a warcry as she lunged at the shaman, but was cut short by a throbbing pain at the base of her neck. Stars exploded in front of her eyes, and then everything went dark very quickly.

"Retreat!"

Inuyasha ceased his attack on the shamans as they fled back into the forest.

"Yeah, get outta here, you bums!" Inuyasha shouted after them. "Run away with your tails between your legs, just like you should!" Satisfied with his taunting, he turned back to the carriage. "Hey, Kagome, you alright?"

He received no response.

"Hey! Kagome! What's the deal? Answer me already!"

He still got no answer from anywhere in the clearing. It was eerily silent, and the dark of the night suddenly sent a chill up his spine.

He ran all around the carriage, squinting into the forest and fervently searching the carriage. There was no sign of Kagome, or Shippou.

"Hey, horse!" Inuyasha called. "Where'd Shippou and Kagome go?"

The mare blinked and snorted.

"You're no help... Hey, Kagome! Shippou! Anyone!" he shouted at the top of his lungs into the night sky. "Kagome! KAGOME!!!"

He paused, his arms hanging limp at his sides. "...Where'd everybody go...?!?!"

* * *

Kagome awoke to a pounding headache and the feeling of something soft beneath her body. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw that she was lying on a bed of straw. She suddenly remembered what had happened; the shaman bandits in the woods, the leader suddenly appearing behind her, a throbbing pain at the base of her neck.

She reached back and tenderly felt the back of her head. A large welt had grown there, and she cringed at the pain it caused simply running her fingertip along it.

She noticed a pair of bare feet stop in front of her, and she froze. After a moment of realizing that she was clearly not somewhere she wanted to be, she sat up with a start. She immediately regretted the sudden movement as the room spun.

"Take it easy," the figure coaxed. He knelt down next to her, and she could see that it was their leader; the same man from last night with the opaque blue eyes. She could now see his long ebony hair, put up in a simple ponytail, and the mix-and-match armour of metal and pelts that he wore.

Kagome suddenly realized that something was missing. She looked down at the bed of straw that she had been lying on, and all around. The Shikon Staff was gone.

"Are you looking for this?" the leader inquired with a smirk. He made a motion with his hand, and another shaman stepped forward, carrying the Shikon Staff in his hands.

"Give that back!" Kagome cried.

"Gimme gimme never gets," the leader retorted tersely, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "All in good time. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kouga, and I'm the leader of the Wolf Tribe."

"It's not a pleasure to meet you!" Kagome spat. "You kidnapped me and took my staff, and now you're trying to be all gentlemanly about it? Well you can forget it! Give me the Shikon Staff, and let me go!"

The shaman holding the staff snorted. "Got quite a mouth on her, the little lady does."

Kouga held up his hand. "Let's not be hasty. I can understand perfectly. We did, after all, take her away without her consent, and borrowed a precious item from her."

"Borrowed, my foot!" Kagome interrupted. "Give it back, already! I'm warning you, there's plenty I can do without that staff!"

"Now you stop that, you hear?" Kouga said with a sudden razor edge to his voice. "You haven't even heard our proposal. We need a favour from you."

"And what makes you think I owe you any favours?" Kagome shrilled.

"Thousands upon thousands of demon moths attacked our home in the mountains," Kouga explained, ignoring Kagome's previous comment. "The air became filled with poisonous dust, and we lost a few of our men in the onslaught. I can't begin to explain why the moths appeared, but they've shown up again. It's as if they're out to terminate all of the Wolf Tribe!"

"Oh, I get it," Kagome said quietly. "I've never heard of any shaman bandits in the woods around here, because there were none. The only reason you're here is because of the moths attacking your home."

"Exactly," Kouga nodded. "We need your help to get rid of the demon moths. You're a priestess, right? Your job is to exterminate demons, so this should be a simple task for you. The moths aren't much alone, but when there are so many that they cloud out the sun, the dust from their wing beats chokes you and you have no strength left to fight." Kouga sent her an earnest look. "So...are you going to help us, or what?"

"Well, that certainly is a job I could handle," Kagome mused. "But you don't understand. I have to be somewhere. I'm on a mission already, and there are a couple of people who will be looking for me right now."

Kouga stood up and exhaled in frustration. He paced a bit, then turned back to Kagome. He looked as if he was about to speak when he turned and noticed that one of his companion wolves had approached him and began sniffing at the wolf tail on his fur pelt.

"What the..."

Kouga reached behind and pulled out a tiny, nearly unconscious figure with auburn hair and a fuzzy yellow tail.

"Shippou...!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Hmph," Kouga sniffed. "Must have latched onto me back in the forest. Here you go, have a snack."

He tossed the hapless kitsune into the pack of wolves behind him. The starving animals all surrounded him, staring at him ravenously and licking their chops.

Shippou was suddenly quite awake, and cowered fearfully at the centre of the circle of wolves.

"No!" Kagome screamed, leaping to her feet and trying to get to the wolves. Kouga stopped her with his body. "Let me go! Don't hurt Shippou!"

"And if I save him?" Kouga asked smugly.

Kagome conceded reluctantly. "Fine, I'll exterminate the moths! Whatever you want! Now let Shippou go!"

Kouga turned and shuffled through the wolves. "Alright, look out, move it. Sorry, guys, no snack right now." He snatched Shippou up by the tail and smoothed the little kitsune's hair out as he turned back to Kagome. "Here you go, good as new. Just a bit of dirt in his hair, no worries."

He gave Shippou an ungracious toss into Kagome's arms, who caught him and checked over him worriedly. She shot a venomous glare at the back of Kouga's head.

"Here you go, miss," the other shaman said, handing Kagome the Shikon Staff.

"Uh, thanks," Kagome replied. She took the staff and let Shippou up onto her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." Shippou whimpered.

A thought suddenly dawned on Kagome. "Wait a second... If you're here, where's Inuyasha?"

"I don't know," Shippou admitted. "Last I saw, he was still fighting the shamans. When I noticed Kouga taking you away, and grabbed a hold of his tail."

"Come on, now," Kouga called, nearer to the cave's entrance. "I'll take you to the moths."

Kagome pursued Kouga and the other shaman out of the cave. She shifted her gaze over to the kitsune on her shoulder. "So either Inuyasha's gone out looking for us...or he's gone off on his own... Why do I get the feeling something horrible is going to happen?"

* * *

Kouga, Kagome and several shamans were gathered at the crest of a hill, overlooking the main part of the forest. As Kagome looked down over the trees, she hoped that Inuyasha was still down there somewhere, and not off terrorizing the citizens of nearby villages.

"They'll be along shortly," Kouga informed the acolyte. "If you need any help, we're all here."

"Thanks, but I should be able to handle this pretty quickly," Kagome assured him. She began to wonder what the big deal was. How much harm could a bunch of moths do? Certainly their dust was deadly, especially when there was a great deal of them; that was a given. But if someone was not standing directly beneath the poison... That was just it though, Kagome realized as she looked around at all the shamans. Most of their weapons were most effective at close range, and it was not healthy to be in close range of poisonous moths.

"So, once I help you," Kagome said, "You'll be able to go back to your old home, right?"

Kouga shot her a wry glance. "You sure are eager to get rid of us."

"Well, er, it's not that," Kagome said quickly. "It's just that...you do want to go home, right?"

Kouga's ever-present gaze shifted up and down a bit. "Only if you come with me."

"Wh-what?!"

"The moths! They're here!"

The shaman's exclamation returned Kagome's attentions to the sky. She was shocked to see that Kouga's description of the moths did them no justice. They were a giant blue-gray cloud against the pale blue of the sky. The sun was just beginning to rise, illuminating the dust that was scattered beneath the cloud of moths.

"There are so many..." Kagome gasped.

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Kouga asked.

"I'll do it," Kagome assured him. She squared her shoulders and pointed the Shikon Staff directly at the heart of the moths. With her other hand perpendicular to her lips, she quietly chanted a string of incantations. The wind picked up around her feet. The shamans were in awe of what they saw.

The acolyte's eyes opened wide, and a shining barrier grew from the Shikon Jewel. The cloud of moths collided with the wall of light and turned bright crimson before shattering to the ground, each individual moth aflame.

A cheer erupted from the shamans behind her.

"You did it!" Kouga exclaimed.

"Wait!" Shippou cried. "Wh-what's that?!"

Kagome's gaze followed where the little kitsune was pointing. From out of the dissipating cloud of moths came a creature of enormous size. It, too, appeared to be a moth, but of a much different sort.

"That demon moth is huge!" Kagome said to Kouga.

"It must have been what was controlling the other moths," Kouga deduced. He turned to his fellow shamans. "Ready your weapons, men! We may have more of a fight on our hands than we thought!" He turned back to Kagome. "Do you think this moth with succumb to the barrier, as well?"

"Um... I hope so," Kagome conceded. While the demon was formidable, bigger was not always better. She held the Shikon Staff out before her. "I've just got to concentrate harder...!"

"KAGOMEEEE!!!!"

The acolyte turned around, startled, at the shouting of her name. The other shamans all appeared puzzled, so it clearly had not been one of them. Then, over the crest of uneven incline bounded the mare that had been pulling their carriage the night before. Riding bareback with the cloak still clasped around his shoulders was Inuyasha.

"Finally! I found you!" Inuyasha shouted. "Get away from there! Come on!"

"Just wait!" Kagome shouted back. "I need to do something first!"

"Forget it!" Inuyasha challenged. He leapt off the mare's back and ran for Kagome.

Kouga stepped in front of him before he could reach her. "You heard the lady, she's in the middle of something! So why don't you just sit here like a good boy and wait your turn, mutt-face!"

"M-mutt-face?!" Inuyasha repeated incredulously. "Why, you—!"

Kagome screamed. "The demon's aura... It's too strong! It's going to break the barrier!"

The wall of light buckled as the giant demon moth drew nearer, and finally shattered to a thousand tiny pieces. There was a great gust of wind, which sent almost everyone into a fit of coughing.

"Damn you!" Inuyasha cried. He blazed past everyone and leapt off the sharp incline of the hill, straight towards the moth. He pulled back his arm, and slashed at the demon with all his might. His claws sliced through the air in golden streaks.

"_Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!_"

The slash cut through the moth's mid-section, and it screamed. The horrible sound was so high-pitched, it made the poisonous dust seem pleasant. Set aflame like all its kin, the giant demon moth plummeted into the forest and landed in the trees with an enormous thud. It could no longer be seen from the crest of the hill.

Kagome lifted the Shikon Staff above her head. An orb of light extended from the jewel, clearing the air of all poison. As the air purified, Kagome watched in awe as Inuyasha came back to rest on the hill with a liquid grace that did not seem to match his harsh demeanor.

She saw as he studied his hands curiously.

"That's never happened before..." he mumbled. "How...did I do that?"

"You're not hurt, are you, Kagome?" Kouga inquired smoothly.

"Uh, I'm fine," she replied, suddenly shy and fidgety.

"HEY!" Inuyasha shrieked. He shoved Kouga away from Kagome and got in his face. "What the hell you think yer doin', acting all concerned for her? You knocked her out and kidnapped her, you asshole! And now you want to know if she's hurt?! How 'bout I hurt you, buddy, huh?!"

"Inuyasha, take it easy!" Kagome warned. "He was just asking if I'm okay!"

Inuyasha turned and glared. "Unbelievable! What are you, some kind of masochist? Or did he brainwash you?" He whirled around to face Kouga again. "Okay, that's it, you're going down!"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome gritted, focusing her thoughts on the prayers beads around the demon's neck. "SIT!!!"

The rosary around Inuyasha's neck glowed with the activation of the word of subjugation.

The punch he was about to throw was cut short as he was slammed to the ground.

The shamans stared.

"Effective..." Kouga commented, stroking his chin approvingly.

Inuyasha lifted his head out of the crater it had formed. "What the hell was that?!"

"I think we should probably be leaving now," Kagome said to Kouga tolerably.

"You have done us a great favour," Kouga acknowledged. "We are now free to return to our old home, now that you've vanquished the moths. If ever you are in the mountains, the Wolf Tribe will be there to aid you in any way possible. If you're on your way to the village, go down the hill and south to a trail; it's a shortcut out of the woods and back onto the road."

"I was glad to be of some assistance," Kagome admitted, "Even though the circumstances of acquiring my help could have been a little less...forceful. Good-bye!"

"Farewell," Kouga said a little wistfully. The Wolf Tribe gave another cheer as she made her way off the hill.

Then she remembered.

"Whoops! I almost forgot Inuyasha! Hey! You can get up now, you know!"

Inuyasha sprung to his feet and pointed a clawed finger into her face. "Don't you ever do that again!!"

Kagome placed her hands on her hips defiantly. "And what exactly do you plan to do to stop me?"

"I'll make you pay!" he growled dangerously, curling his fingers into a fist.

She stared at him boredly for a moment, and blinked. "Sit."

_THUD!_


	3. The World's Last Airship

"Looks like this is it," Shippou announced as they emerged from the forest. "Can you take it from here?"

"Yes, thanks for your help," Kagome replied. "You return to the temple."

"Good luck," Shippou bid. He placed a leaf on his head, and in a poof of smoke transformed into a very strange-looking bird. He flapped his wings and meandered away. The remaining two continued forward along the road.

"We won't reach the village until tomorrow night, now that we're no longer travelling by carriage," Inuyasha pointed out. "What happened to the carriage, anyway?"

"Well, do you remember when the giant flaming moth fell into the forest?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if I calculated correctly, the moth landed somewhere along the road we were taking..."

Inuyasha snorted. "Burnt to a crisp."

"I gather, yeah..."

There was a lull before anyone spoke again.

"You know," Inuyasha mused, his voice slightly muffled from beneath the cloak, "I wouldn't have to stop overnight if I were going alone. I'd be in Ogonkai by morning."

"Is that supposed to convince me that making this journey was a mistake? Look, I know you think that you're on this journey for your own mission, but that's not the way things are. You're _my_ companion, and you're not going anywhere without me."

Inuyasha cast her a sidelong glance. She could almost feel his gaze burning into the side of her head. "The purpose of the Order of Uzume is spreading respect for all living things, is it not? So why are you treating me like I'm your disobedient dog?"

"I am not!" Kagome protested. "I respect all living things, and I'll respect you more when you stop acting like a child."

"But wait," Inuyasha piped, feigning innocence. "Aren't children living things?" He dropped the facade and scoffed. "That's got to be the biggest load I've ever heard."

"Think what you want," Kagome said tersely. She no longer felt like arguing with Inuyasha. "By the way, when we find Kikyo, you're not going to kill her."

In two strides, Inuyasha stepped in front of Kagome and blocked her path. "You misunderstand one thing. All I need you for is getting across the ocean. Once we reach the southern continent, I'm no longer your dog. Whoever reaches Kikyo first will fulfill their mission."

"That has to be the most childish thing you've said yet!" Kagome raged. She shoved Inuyasha aside and continued along the road. Her head snapped up suddenly, and she gasped. It was now her turn to block Inuyasha's path and get in his face. "You planned this from the start, didn't you? Lady Kaede told me that you'd said you were willing to help. I'll bet you just said that to set this whole thing up! You lied to Lady Kaede and said you'd help, intended to use me to cross the ocean, then abandon me once I'd ceased to be useful, and finally go off and kill Kikyo!"

"You natter like a squirrel," Inuyasha muttered. Kagome was shocked, and portrayed the emotion with a shriek, as Inuyasha lifted her off the ground by her waist and placed her next to him on the road.

As he turned and walked away, Kagome huffed and stared after him in disbelief.

"By the way, your synopsis was only partly right," Inuyasha said, back still turned. "Once you'd led me across the ocean to the southern continent, I was going to kill you."

Kagome felt a thrill creep up her spine. Her training, as well as her new sit command, would come in handier than she thought in keeping this demon in line. He seemed awfully moody. One minute, it almost seemed like he was trying to defend her in front of Kouga, though not very tactfully, and now, he was threatening to kill her.

"Well, you did use the past tense."

Inuyasha raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"You said you _were_ going to kill me. Hehe, yeah... We're on better terms now, right? ...Aren't we?"

"I'm _your_ companion, remember?" he sneered. "Whatever you say goes, fearless leader."

Somehow, Kagome was not convinced.

* * *

"Yes, you're Lady Kagome from the Uzume Temple up the hill, right?" the old innkeeper said, regarding the acolyte curiously. "Lady Kaede sent word from the temple that you would be coming with your grandmother."

"What?" Inuyasha growled.

The innkeeper gave Inuyasha a puzzled look. Kagome prayed to any god that was listening that Inuyasha would play along and not give away the fact that he was a demon.

Inuyasha cleared his throat, and much to Kagome's relief, began speaking in a high-  
pitched voice. "Yes, that would be me." He gave a pathetic cough for good measure.

"Right this way, ladies," the innkeeper beckoned. He led Kagome and Inuyasha through the corridors of the inn.

"Good job," Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha only muttered, "Feh..."

"We've prepared a meal for you," the innkeeper informed them jovially. He slid open the door to their room to reveal a veritable feast laid out for them.

"Thank you so much!" Kagome exclaimed, bowing. "Your hospitality greatly entreats us."

After the innkeeper departed, Inuyasha scoffed.

"'Your hospitality greatly entreats us!'" he mimicked in falsetto.

"Well it does!" Kagome protested.

"Whatever," Inuyasha sighed. He threw the cloak onto the floor and pounced on the food. "I'm starving!"

"I can see why," Kagome sympathized, seating herself on the red cushion at the other side of the table. "We only had a meagre lunch, since we no longer had the carriage. And before that, you hadn't eaten in 50 years..."

The meal went relatively peacefully, save for Inuyasha's ravenous munching. They were very nearly finished when they heard the commotion outside.

Inuyasha's ears tweaked at the noise, and he pulled his bowl of rice down from in front of his face.

Kagome snickered.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, mouth still full.

Kagome tried to answer, but the image of Inuyasha with his cheeks full of rice, much like a chipmunk, sent her into peals of laughter.

Inuyasha swallowed and placed his bowl and chopsticks on the table. "Humans..." he muttered as he made a dash for the door to the road outside.

"Wait!" Kagome called after him desperately. "Put your cloak on first!"

With Inuyasha concealed beneath his cloak, Kagome pushed the door open and gazed outside, Inuyasha at her shoulder. A man with his hair in a tight ponytail, and apparently charred, was staggering down the road. Several cloaked individuals were running to meet him.

"That hot pink is blinding..." Inuyasha commented reproachfully on the man's coat.

"Certainly is strange..." Kagome whispered. "What do you suppose happened to him? I don't remember seeing any smoke in the sky from a fire..."

The cloaked figures that rushed to the man's aid were a trio; one appeared to be average height, one was small in stature, and the other, hunched over. Their faces were concealed as they searched their surroundings rather warily. They hastily threw a cloak over the man and helped him to his feet.

"We should go help..." Kagome suggested.

She began to take a step forward, but Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her back in.

The tallest of the trio glanced over at the door, but they were hidden well enough in the shadows to avoid detection.

"What's the big idea? Let go!" she insisted.

"Don't even think about going out there," Inuyasha hissed tersely. "I smell demons..."

"You...smell demons?"

Kagome hadn't thought of it before, but dogs did have a good sense of smell... Of course Inuyasha could smell if there were demons around.

"Does that mean that...those people in the cloaks are demons?"

"Yup... What's strange about it is that they all smell exactly the same... There's nothing distinctive about any one of them."

"Maybe they're just family, then?"

"Even members of a family have different scents," Inuyasha snorted disdainfully, as if she should have known that already.

"It would probably be best just to stay put," Kagome decided. "Let's not get into any unnecessary fights."

"Whatever you say," Inuyasha agreed doubtfully. "I'm going to keep watch, though. I get the feeling those demons are up to something..."

"We'll take turns keeping watch," Kagome suggested.

"Naw, just leave it to me," Inuyasha insisted. "I don't need as much sleep. You might need your strength for tomorrow."

There was an awkward silence when Inuyasha finished. Kagome regarded him for a moment. His voice had seemed so...gentle just now. Why was he so concerned about her getting sleep?

Inuyasha's face turned a mild shade of pink as he turned to glare at her. "What are you lookin' at?! I said go to bed!!!"

"Alright, I'm going!" Kagome shot back. "Sheesh..."

* * *

Inuyasha was a light sleeper and he knew it, so he decided to rest his eyelids for a bit. If he had confided in Kagome the fact that he was only going to keep watch periodically, she probably would have insisted on staying awake with him. Stupid human girl... How did she expect to repel jerks like Kouga without any decent sleep, should they run into one again?

The demon cast a glance at the acolyte sleeping in the bedroll on the other side of the room. He tried to look away, but found his gaze lingering a little longer than he would have liked it to. She was lying on her side, and a strand of her hair had fallen over her face. It was driving him crazy. He had an irresistible urge to straighten it. It was just sitting there! Couldn't she feel it? Wasn't it uncomfortable? Did he have to do EVERYTHING for her?!

He began to move out of his sitting position when he heard a muffled footstep coming from somewhere in the complex. He listened attentively for where it was coming from. A whiff of the air was all he needed to confirm his suspicions; there was a demon in the house.

With quick, light steps he ran down the corridors of the inn, looking for the culprit of the disturbance. He stepped into the foyer and discovered a cloaked figure, exactly like the one they had seen earlier, walking towards another corridor. The demon spotted Inuyasha, turned on its heel and ran out the door. Inuyasha pursued it out onto the porch, but decided to heed Kagome's advice and not start any fights.

Besides, the demon had dropped a nice little souvenir. He swooped down and seized the sheet of paper that had fallen out of the demon's cloak. The light was dim, and he squinted to see what was written there. Someone had painted the portrait of a man, quite well, Inuyasha thought, at the top of the sheet. Reading the text beneath, he soon realized that this was not so much of a portrait as a mug-shot.

**Name:** Miroku-san

aka Azami-sama

aka Kuroshita-no-Seiji

**Age:** approx. 18-22

**Height:** approx. 1.8 m

**Weight:** approx. 72 kg

**Eye colour:** Violet

**Hair colour:** Brown

Owner of the world's only fully functional airship. Last seen at the Kaigan Inn, Ogonkai. Suspected of illegal gambling, theft, embezzling funds, extortion, impersonating nobility, impersonating a monk, and indecent exposure. If you know the whereabouts of this man, or possess evidence proving any of the aforementioned crimes (or any others) were committed by this criminal, contact Sango-san, Ogonkai Police.

"Sounds like quite the character," Inuyasha muttered. He folded up the parchment and tucked it away in his cloak. As he shut the inn's front door, a thought struck him; he had left Kagome back in their room, completely unprotected!

He raced silently back to their room, and to his horror, he found yet another cloaked demon, hunched over Kagome's prone figure. It was tentatively reaching out for her.

"No you don't!" Inuyasha shouted, lunging at the demon. It hissed and fled out the door before he could sink his claws into it. He chased it as far as the door, and slammed the frame shut. With the room closed off, he returned to Kagome's side.

"Kagome, are you alright?" he asked. "Did that demon do anything to you?"

This elicited no response. She continued sleeping soundly in her bedroll.

"Sleepin' like a baby..." he muttered bitterly. He sat himself down comfortably next to Kagome, crossing his arms indignantly. "Maybe I should have made her stay up and keep watch with me... That'd teach her..."

The room slowly grew dim. He yawned, and succumbed to the embrace of sleep as well.

* * *

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Wha— What? What?! What's going on?! Is there a demon attacking?!?!"

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU PERVERT!"

"GAH!"

"SIT, BOY!"

_**THUD!**_

Kagome pressed herself up against the wall, getting as far away from the demon as possible. She gasped for the air she had lost while shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"What was that for?" Inuyasha whined.

"Oh, like you don't know?!" Kagome shrilled. "Just what was the big idea, pal?!"

He pulled himself out of the Inuyasha-shaped crater in the floor. "What big idea?! I'm not apologizing for anything if I don't know what it is! In fact, I'm not apologizing at all! Yeah, that's right! You don't have the right to be apologized to, after that!"

"The big idea was you— Urgh! You were...lying on my...ACK!"

"On your... Oh..." Inuyasha murmured, realization dawning in his eyes. He sneered, "Feh. Not like there was anything there anyway!"

"SIT!"

_**THUD!**_

"Hmph..." Kagome snorted. "I thought you were keeping watch, anyway!"

"I just dozed off a bit, that's all!" Inuyasha protested. "I was trying to protect you from the demons that got in here last night! You really think I'd want to feel up the likes of you? Don't flatter yourself!"

"Wait, what demons?" Kagome demanded.

"Oh sure, change the subject whenever it's most convenient for you!" Inuyasha continued obnoxiously. "You slept through the whole thing last night, like a rock!"

"Just answer the question...!" Kagome sighed exasperatedly.

"It was those cloaked demons from the road," Inuyasha finally explained, sitting up and crossing his legs and arms. "Just two of them. One of them was after you, but I managed to scare it off. I didn't engage in any fights, like you said. Happy now?"

"Partly," Kagome admitted doubtfully. "What do you suppose they were after?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say they were after that weapon of yours," Inuyasha replied, motioning toward the staff still tucked away in her bedroll. "The Shikon Staff, you call it? Yeah, I remember about the Shikon Jewel... It's supposed to be really powerful. Yeah, that's got to be it. Those demons are after the Shikon Jewel."

"Well that's certainly not good," Kagome lamented. "We need to leave town as quickly as possible."

"I'm on it," Inuyasha complied. He ran for his cloak. "Pack up your gear. We're movin' out."

Kagome gathered up her belongings and led the way to the innkeeper to pay him. When she reached the door, she let out a horrified scream before clamping her hands over her mouth.

"What?!" Inuyasha demanded. He peered over her shoulder and immediately recognized the source of her distress. Blood seeped slowly along the floorboards from a heap in the corner. The old innkeeper was dead.

"Dammit..." Inuyasha muttered. He walked past Kagome into the room and inspected the body. He ripped a piece of paper off of his chest, attached by threateningly large pin. "There's a note."

"What's it say?" Kagome asked shakily.

Inuyasha quickly read it, and threw it down into the pool of blood. "Dammit, dammit...!"

"What? Tell me!"

"It's those cloaked demons again," he muttered bitterly. "They murdered the old innkeeper as a warning to us. They said if we want to live, we'd better leave town, and that we might have better luck in Ogonkai."

"That's where we're going anyway," Kagome pointed out.

"It's exactly where they want us to go," Inuyasha realized. "It's a trap. I almost forgot about this..." He reached into his cloak and produced the wanted parchment. "The other demon I chased away dropped this."

Kagome took the poster and studied it. "I think I see..." she said after a moment. "They want us to find this man, and have him lend us the use of his airship."

"Okay, quick question," Inuyasha interjected. "How is it that he's the owner of the world's _only_ airship? I know it's ancient technology, and they are pretty scarce..."

"That was fifty years ago," Kagome explained. "Every airship in the sky was shot down fifty years ago...except for one. It must have belonged to someone in this man's family."

"That was Naraku's doing," Inuyasha muttered bitterly. "I remember now... The rampage..."

Kagome could see that the demon was reliving difficult memories. His brows were drawn together in deep thought. She realized that probably the last thing he wanted to be reminded of was the time he was Naraku's peon. She returned her focus to the wanted poster. "An airship would be one of the best ways to get to the southern continent. But...why would they want to allow us to go to the southern continent?"

"Maybe the trap is there, and not in Ogonkai," Inuyasha suggested. "What I want to know is how the hell they got wind of where we were going... So...what do we do?"

Kagome stared a moment at the ink-black eyes of the man in the poster. "We're going to do what we set out to do: find Lady Kikyo. And the quickest way to do that is in this man's airship."

"So we're going to Ogonkai," Inuyasha confirmed with a nod. "We're gonna find this Miroku... or Azami... or Seiji... or whatever the hell he wants to be called, and get him to take us across the ocean."

"It may be tough," Kagome pointed out. "According to this, the guy's a wanted criminal. I imagine he'll be pretty elusive."

"Well, according to the poster, he was last seen at the Kaigan Inn. It's a good place to start. Even back fifty years ago, that place was known for some shady dealings. Generally a decent place to stay, just some wealthy high-rollers behind the scenes."

"Then we're going to the Kaigan Inn," Kagome decided. "Let's just see those demons try and set a trap for us!"

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. "That's the best thing I've heard come outta yer mouth yet."

* * *

A/N: Just for anyone who doesn't work in metric (don't worry, neither do I--and I'm Canadian!), the stats I gave to Miroku were something along the lines of 6' and 160 lbs. I think they use metric in Japan, so that's why I used it... I suppose they didn't use metric back then or something... I have no idea. I'm just not going to talk about it! ::sniff:: I don't know if he has any actual stats I can reference from, but...it was supposed to be approximate, anyway! ::shifty eyes:: I'm just going to stop talking now... ::runs:: 


	4. Shady Dealings in Ogonkai

A/N: Thanks to Spacewolf, L.A.B.99, Miss Anonymous, shinkon no yume and Super Ceech, who reviewed in the previous chapters!

Super Ceech: What Inuyasha actually meant when that his Iron Reaver attack never decimated something like that so effectively and made it catch fire and stuff. He always had his claw attack, just for some reason, it was more uber that time. Hm... I wonder why?

shinkon no yume: Don't worry, I didn't forget about Kagome's bow and arrows. She'll be getting her bow soon, probably sometime after they've reached the southern continent. And she doesn't need her staff to cast spiritual spells; she said so to Kouga! The Shikon Staff only helps to amplify them.

In this chapter, our heroes meet Sango, Miroku, and Hojo! Good times!

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, sir!" Kagome called as she waved to the farmer still seated on his wagon.

"You take care now," the farmer called back as he started to turn the wagon down an adjacent path. "And I hope your grandmother gets well soon!"

Inuyasha hacked and coughed beneath his cloak in response.

He and Kagome passed through the town gates in Ogonkai.

"It sure was lucky that farmer was making a delivery today," Kagome sighed in relief. "And that he was generous enough to lend us a ride in his wagon. It's not as dark as I thought it might have been. Now we can look for the Kaigan Inn."

"I have some idea where it is," Inuyasha informed her. "I think it's this way."

They walked side-by-side down the streets, abandoned for the night.

"Here, down this alley," Inuyasha said, suddenly making a turn. "We need to get to the next street."

He stopped suddenly, and Kagome crashed into him. She peered around him to see a figure silhouetted in the early moonlight at the other end of the alley. As she stepped forward, Kagome could see that she was dressed like a police officer. Her brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and a small demon kitten walked alongside her.

"Evening, folks," the officer called. "Haven't seen you around here before."

She stopped before the two, particularly eyeing Inuyasha suspiciously. Inuyasha lowered his head a little, trying to keep his face concealed.

"Um, yes! We're new around here," Kagome said. "We just got in town tonight. We're just here to visit for a little while, at the Kaigan Inn."

"Is that so?" the officer replied. "That inn is a little expensive."

"Oh, we'll be alright for that," Kagome assured her.

"Well, if you happen to be going that way..." the officer said as she reached into her jacket. She produced a wanted poster. "I know you're new here, so I don't suppose you've seen this man?"

Kagome peered at the parchment. Pictured on it was the same Miroku/Azami/Seiji on their parchment.

"No, we haven't," Kagome began, "At least not in real life. Where's that wanted parchment we have, In– uh... Inara-jiji!"

Inuyasha snorted, and the officer raised a suspicious eyebrow. Kagome laughed nervously and secretly elbowed Inuyasha in the ribs.

He reached into his cloak and held the parchment out for Kagome to take it. Kagome noticed anxiously as the officer's eyes seemed to swerve right to Inuyasha's hand as soon as it appeared. Inuyasha apparently noticed as well, and pulled his hand back into his cloak as quickly as possible.

Kagome unfolded the parchment and showed it to the officer.

The officer knitted her brows at the sight of the parchment. "Where did you get this?"

"We just kind of found it," Kagome responded uncertainly. "We think someone dropped it!"

"I only painted two pictures of this man's criminal mug," the officer scoffed. "The one I have, and the one you found."

"Oh, wait..." Kagome piped up, realization dawning on her. "Are you Sango-san?"

"I am," the officer replied. "If you really are going to the Kaigan Inn, do you think you could keep an eye open for this man? With that airship of his, he's an extremely slippery one to catch. And even if I could catch him, I don't have enough evidence to convict him properly. So...if you can possibly catch him doing anything illegal, that would be greatly appreciated."

"Sure," Kagome answered with a nod. "We'd be glad to help bring a criminal to justice!"

Sango nodded. "Have a nice evening."

The two parties passed in the alleyway. Inuyasha and Kagome continued on to the Kaigan Inn.

"I feel kind of split on the issue now," Kagome sighed. "If we ask Miroku to take us across the ocean on his airship, we'll just be allowing him to escape... And if we help Sango, she'll arrest Miroku and our convenient ride across the ocean will be gone."

"Sounds to me like Miroku frequents this town quite a bit," Inuyasha pointed out. "Let's get him to take us across the ocean, and then when we return, we can turn him in to Sango."

"Great way to show our appreciation..." Kagome muttered.

"Aw, come on!" Inuyasha snorted. "He's a criminal. He's probably done worse to lots of people."

"I don't know what you consider worse..." Kagome said, edging away a little. "But I think I'm actually starting to agree with you. How bad is that?"

"We _are_ on a mission."

"Of course. I can't forget that," Kagome said, squaring her shoulders. "Our first priority is getting to the southern continent."

"Alright then," Inuyasha said a little harshly, "Let's quit talkin' about it and keep going."

The Kaigan Inn was the largest and most expensive inn in Ogonkai, and definitely looked the part. The two walked in, and Kagome headed straight for the innkeeper behind the counter. She was in a hurry to secure a room.

"800 gold pieces," the innkeeper informed them.

Kagome winced and reached into her purse. She pulled out several coins and reached out to hand them over, but they slipped out of her fingers before she could give them to the innkeeper. The sound of the gold hitting the wooden floors echoed in the vast chamber.

Kagome felt her face grow warm, and she bent down to pick up the coins. Though Inuyasha was remaining silent, to keep up his facade, she knew he was probably berating her mentally. While she was retrieving the coins from the floor, she felt an unusual pressure on her rear. Her back immediately went poker straight, and she was upright in a shot.

"INUYASHA!!!"

She could see his golden eyes from beneath the hood of his cloak send her a puzzled glance, clearly offended at her accusation.

"Inuyasha?" a man's deep voice repeated behind her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. She had not realized that there had been anyone there. Now she saw that the man who had spoken appeared to be about the same height as Inuyasha, with brown hair pulled into a short ponytail at the base of his neck and intriguing violet eyes. He was very well dressed in a long, violet coat, and a fancy dress shirt and pants. The violet brace on his right hand was wrapped in beads.

"That's a peculiar name," he continued.

"Um... I-Inuyasha?" Kagome stammered uncertainly. "I didn't say Inuyasha! I said...Inara-jiji!

"I see," the man drawled, clearly not entirely convinced.

"She's my grandmother!" Kagome lied.

Inuyasha coughed.

"My, uh...sick grandmother. And now if you'll— Wait a minute! Did you just grab me?!"

"Pardon me if my introduction was a little forward," the man apologized suavely.

"Gee, ya think?!" Kagome raged. "You don't just sneak up behind people and—"

She stopped in the middle of her rant when the image of the man's face really began to sink in. Though it had colour now, it was distinctly similar to the ink painting.

"It's you..." Kagome gasped. "Miroku-san!"

The man's eyebrows drew inward. "What?"

"Miroku," Kagome repeated menacingly. "Or Azami-sama, the monk. Or maybe Kuroshita-no-Seiji, the noble. Which would you prefer?"

"Please, miss," the man said diplomatically, holding his hands up before himself defensively. "I hardly think this is the place for that..."

"Then where is?" Kagome asked. "You do have a personal room here to gamble in, don't you? We're not here to turn you in. We have a business proposition."

Miroku considered this for a moment. "Very well. Come with me."

He led the way to his personal chamber, stopping only a moment to toss a coin in the direction of the innkeeper, in a matter-of-fact tone informing him, "You didn't hear anything."

The innkeeper nodded and secreted the coin away somewhere.

Miroku pulled aside a tapestry, and indicated with a gentlemanly hand for Kagome and Inuyasha to enter. They walked through the concealed doorway into the room that lay beyond.

The room was virtually featureless. Hardly any furniture, to tapestries, no art. Just a plain, wooden-paneled room with a table in the centre, and a brunette man standing by it.

"Guests, master?" the young man inquired. His voice was sweet and cheerful, and he carried a silver serving platter in his hands.

"You could say that," Miroku admitted. He turned to his two 'guests'. "This is my personal attendant, Hojo."

"It's a great pleasure to meet you both!" Hojo enthused. He bowed very deeply to Kagome, then to Inuyasha, and then a third time.

"Hojo," Miroku interrupted. "That's okay, I think that will do. I keep telling you, you're going to give yourself back problems if you greet everyone like that."

"Yes, master!" Hojo piped happily.

"Please, have a seat," Miroku offered. Kagome sat down across from him at the table. Miroku crossed his arms over his chest and regarded Kagome with a ghost of a smile. "So. You obviously know who I am."

"Miroku-san," Kagome replied. "A wanted criminal."

Miroku raised his eyebrow slightly. "You're not from around here. How do you know about me?" He paused and rolled his eyes. "I suppose Sango-san caught up with you as soon as you walked through the gates, hm?"

"We did meet her," Kagome admitted. "But before that..." She reached into her robes and produced the parchment she had taken from Inuyasha. "This was dropped by someone, so we took it. It included information that may very well prove to be vital to us."

Miroku took the parchment and studied. "A striking likeness." He rested his chin in his hand and smiled dreamily. "That Sango really is something of a painter, isn't she, Hojo?"

"Yes, master," Hojo replied. "I'm very impressed with her work. That painting looks just like you. The detail is so accurate; she even managed to paint in how your right ear is a little higher than your left."

Miroku shot Hojo a wry glance.

Hojo stared blankly at him a moment, then smiled jovially.

"Anyway," Miroku drawled. He paused before he finished the thought. "You know, your demon friend is allowed to sit down, too."

"What?" Kagome started. "What demon? Th-that's my grandmother!"

"While your exclamation of Inuyasha was a dead giveaway," Miroku smirked, "I was able to sense his demonic aura before you even opened your mouth."

Inuyasha sneered and flicked his hood down. "Well, now you know what's about to kill you if you try to pull anything funny."

Miroku chuckled. "Rest assured, I would never draw a weapon in the presence of a lady. Speaking of which, what is the name of the lady whose presence I am in?"

"Kagome," Kagome replied. "Lady Kagome, an acolyte of the Uzume Order."

"Ah," Miroku nodded. "I should have guessed by your temple cloth. Do me the favour of answering my next question honestly, would you?"

"Um... Sure, I guess..."

"Would you do me the honour of bearing my son?"

"WHAT?!" Kagome shrieked.

"Who do you think you are?!" Inuyasha demanded. "First you grab her ass, now you want her to have your son?! What are you, some kind of cradle robber?!"

"Master Miroku is only 19," Hojo spoke up.

"Oh..." Inuyasha murmured. He shook his head and resumed his angered demeanor. "But you're still a pervert!"

"Master Miroku asks that question of every pretty young lady he meets," Hojo informed them, cheerful as ever.

Kagome felt a blush rise in her cheeks. This Hojo guy just said she was pretty!

"Must be something wrong with his eyes..." Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome's blush dropped. Stupid Inuyasha...

"That still makes him a pervert, ya know," Inuyasha pointed out.

"Don't jump to hasty conclusion," Miroku warned. "I have my reasons."

"Oh yeah? And just what would those be?"

"Let's discuss the matter of business we came here for," Miroku said, tiptoeing around the subject. He picked up the parchment and glance at it again. "What exactly was it about the information on this parchment that caught your interest?"

"You, according to that poster, are the owner of the world's last airship," Kagome explained. "We need a ride across the ocean to the southern continent. We were hoping you would do us the favour. Not for free, of course. We'll do something to make it up to you."

Miroku quickly glazed over the parchment's text and snorted. He flipped it around for Kagome to see. "Didn't any of this other stuff bother you in the least?"

"Well..." Kagome began thoughtfully. "When we met Sango, she did say that she has no decent evidence to prove that you committed any of those crimes... But she did seem pretty peeved just at the thought of you."

Miroku rested his chin in his hand once again. He adopted the same dreamy smile as before and sighed. "Yes, Sango is very lovely when she's angry..."

Kagome and Inuyasha shared a look.

"Tell you what," Miroku said suddenly, snapping out of his reverie. He handed the parchment back to Kagome and snapped his fingers, causing Hojo to jump at the signal. "Here's all I ask: three rounds of poker. If you win two out of three, I'll agree to take you across the ocean in my airship. Wherever you'd like to go, no questions asked. If I win, however... Hm... Shall we say, you give me all the money in your purse?"

Kagome assumed a determined expression and sat up straight. "Deal." She untied her purse from her belt and tossed it on the table. The coins inside jingled as they hit the polished surface.

"Excellent," Miroku chirped as Hojo began to expertly shuffle and deal playing cards.

"Wait! What?" Inuyasha demanded. "Kagome, we need that money! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I used to play this game all the time," Kagome told him earnestly, looking him in the eyes. "Don't worry, I won't lose."

Inuyasha lidded his eyes. "Wait a second... What do you mean you used to play this game all the time? You're supposed to be a priestess!"

"Acolyte."

"Whatever! You mean to tell me you would play these sinful card games right under the high priestess's nose? Tsk, tsk, tsk... Kagome, Kagome, Kagome. The trouble I could get you in if I told old lady Kaede..."

"Well you're not going to, got it?" Kagome warned. "You want to get across the ocean or not?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "If you fancy yourself a card shark, then go on and win us that trip across the ocean."

"Thanks...I guess."

* * *

Inuyasha watched every move Hojo's hands made as he shuffled the cards. If that servant did anything that Inuyasha thought was suspicious, Hojo wouldn't be perpetually cheerful for much longer.

Kagome and Miroku picked up their hands of five cards and began to study and rearrange them silently. Hojo positioned himself between them, slightly closer to Kagome and angled toward Miroku. Inuyasha was uncertain who to keep his eye on; Hojo, or Miroku.

Kagome's face was completely blank as she arranged her hand. Though Inuyasha found it a little hard to believe, he trusted Kagome knew what she was doing. If not, he would give her a piece of his mind for getting him to put his trust in her for no reason!

Inuyasha noted that Miroku was holding his cards a little high. Perhaps it was merely a habit, but it seemed to be a rather awkward position. There was so little in the room that could be used to cheat, Inuyasha could not begin to wrap his head around how Miroku could be cheating, if he was.

Kagome dropped two cards on the table, and Hojo handed her another two from the deck. She rearranged her hand yet again and patiently waited for Miroku to make his move.

He discarded three cards, and Hojo restored his hand as well. Miroku studied his cards, still staring at the tops of them. Inuyasha focussed hard on Miroku's eyes, watching for any kind of strange movement. There was none.

"I fold," Miroku sighed, throwing his cards down on the table.

"The game's a draw," Hojo announced. He gathered up all the cards and began to shuffle again. Kagome relinquished her hand a little disappointedly. Inuyasha assumed she'd had a good hand. He hoped she could duplicate such a hand in the next round.

The cards were dealt for the second game, and it proceeded much like the last round. Kagome, this time, discarded three cards from her hand. Her face was still expressionless, but Inuyasha suspected by the number of cards she discarded that her hand was not as good as it had been.

Miroku only discarded one card. His poker face was just as unreadable as Kagome's. Then, suddenly, Inuyasha saw what he had been watching for. Miroku, for only a moment, glanced up from his hand. He was looking at something over Kagome's shoulder. As Inuyasha had observed before, there was so little in the room that could lead to cheating. What on earth had Miroku looked at?

"Are you ready?" Miroku asked, that same ghost of a smile on his face as before.

Kagome placed her hand on the table. "Three aces."

Miroku smirked and tossed his hand on the table. "Straight flush."

Kagome stared at the hand, slightly horrified.

"Second round goes to Master Miroku," Hojo announced. He gathered up the cards for the third round.

Inuyasha cursed silently. Kagome's hand had been decent, but Miroku's had been better. Much better. And the flush had been all hearts. How appropriate for the self-proclaimed ladies' man.

Inuyasha continued cursing to himself. He had yet to find how the criminal was cheating– he was certain now that he was– and Kagome had one chance to stay in the game. If she won, they would have to play another round. If she lost, it would be over. No ride, no money.

"I believe I'll keep my hand this round," Kagome stated.

Inuyasha smiled. She must have had a stellar hand to want to keep it. Either that or she was bluffing. But if Miroku could see her hand like he thought he could, it might not make a difference...

"I'll keep my hand too," Miroku said, grinning lazily.

Inuyasha's smile faded. This was bad. He glanced over at Kagome. He wished he could see her hand. The suspense was killing him. He glanced over a little, and was pleased to notice that he could see the Ace of Hearts in Kagome's hand. Wait... How could he see Kagome's hand? The reflection on Hojo's serving platter... He was holding it in his arms in such a way that Kagome's hand was reflected in it. And he was standing at such an angle that Miroku...

"Aha!" Inuyasha screamed.

"What the–" Kagome began.

Inuyasha took two steps toward the table and punched Hojo in the face. Hojo went flying backwards and landed on his back.

Miroku leapt to his feet. "What's the meaning of this?!"

Hojo held the side of his face tenderly and stared at Inuyasha, shocked. "W-was my bowing insufficient?"

"This is the meaning of this!" Inuyasha shouted at Miroku. He scooped the fallen platter off the floor and slammed it down on the table. "Lousy cheater! You could see Kagome's hand in your stupid servant's serving tray!"

"Please, call me Hojo," Hojo offered pleasantly, sitting up and still holding his face.

"That's preposterous!" Miroku shot back. "How can you prove it?"

"I saw Kagome's hand in the reflection myself!" Inuyasha attested. "I say you start the game over fresh, with Hojo _not_ holding the platter!"

"We'll have to start the third game over again anyway, thanks to this interruption!" Miroku growled.

"No more games!" Kagome protested. "You cheated, so you should be obligated to give us a ride across the ocean!"

"But that doesn't make any sense," Hojo piped up. "Just because he could see your hand, if he didn't get dealt the right cards, there was nothing he could do anyway."

Miroku turned his head slowly and menacingly to glare daggers at Hojo.

Hojo stared back blankly. "What?"

Miroku threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright. Uncle. I give up. You proved it, and I'm a man of my word. I guess this means that I'm disqualified, so that ride to the southern continent is all yours."

"Good!" Kagome grinned. "Thanks, Miroku-san, Azami-sama, and Kuroshita-no-Seiji."

"Think nothing of it," Miroku laughed helplessly.

Hojo climbed to his feet. He trotted over to the opposite wall and pushed a section of it in. A large section of the wall fell out of place, revealing the courtyard beyond.

"This way to my airship," Miroku offered. He led the way out in the apparently empty courtyard.

"Some airship," Inuyasha scoffed. He leaned over to Kagome and stage-whispered, "It's so rare, it doesn't even exist!"

"Never entirely trust what your eyes show you," Miroku warned. He strode over to a monk's staff that was buried in the ground and pulled it out. The air shimmered and wavered in the air of the courtyard. There was a great fluctuation as the barrier surrounding the airship disappeared, and the huge vessel was revealed. A bullet-shaped balloon suspended a deck below that appeared no different than one would witness on a sea-faring vessel.

"Hold on a minute!" Kagome called as Miroku made tracks for his airship. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at the acolyte. "I thought you only impersonated a monk...!"

"I did," Miroku replied with a nod. "That doesn't mean I don't have any spiritual powers to back it up. I need to do a convincing job if I'm going to impersonate something."

Inuyasha and Kagome shared a flabbergasted look.

Kagome murmured, "There's a lot more to this guy...than we can learn from a wanted poster..."


End file.
